Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Report: Number Of Psychiatric Beds In State Hospitals Has Drastically Declined

“The numbers are so bad that people almost don’t believe them,” said John Snook, the executive director of the Treatment Advocacy Center, which released the report. In other news, Massachusetts issues new "fresh air" rules and the New Hampshire health commissioner is promising the state psychiatric hospital will be adequtely staffed after physicians and nurses quit en masse over a contract dispute.

The Washington Post:
Nation’s Psychiatric Bed Count Falls To Record Low
The number of psychiatric beds in state hospitals has dropped to a historic low, and nearly half of the beds that are available are filled with patients from the criminal justice system. Both statistics, reported in a new national study, reflect the sweeping changes that have taken place in the half-century since the United States began deinstitutionalizing mental illness in favor of outpatient treatment. But the promise of that shift was never fulfilled, and experts and advocates say the result is seen even today in the increasing ranks of homeless and incarcerated Americans suffering from serious mental conditions. (Beachum, 7/1)

Stat:
Some Hospitals Resist New Fresh Air Rules For Psychiatric Patients
Friday, the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health issued new “Fresh Air” rules for psychiatric patients across the state. ... The rules require hospitals to grant mental health patients daily access to the outdoors. But up to 20 hospitals, including Massachusetts General, plan to seek waivers to the new rules, citing a lack of space. Those hospitals represent about one-third of psychiatric facilities statewide. The rules present a tug-of-war over patients’ rights, doctors’ judgment, and the logistical demands of running a hospital in an urban environment. (Bailey, 7/5)